A close analysis of the 2008 Assembly election results reveals that Congress and BJP had received a good share of votes and there was a very thin margin between the vote percentage of these two parties.

The electoral battle is all set to be like a 20-20 match in 20 Assembly seats in the upcoming Delhi elections . These seats, spread across the city, witnessed a close contest between the candidates of the two main parties, the Congress and the BJP, in 2008.

In many of these 20 constituencies, candidates won on thin margins of a few hundred votes. There was one seat - Rajouri Garden in west Delhi - where the slender margin of 46 votes made history as far as the Delhi Assembly elections are concerned. The political fight is going to be tougher this year for these 20 seats as the new entrant, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has already registered its active presence.

A close analysis of the 2008 Assembly election results reveals that both the main parties had received a good share of votes and there was a very thin margin between the vote percentage of these two parties. While the Congress received 40.31 per cent of the total votes, the runner-up, the BJP, was not far behind, getting 36.84 per cent of the total votes.

The Congress had won 13 of these 20 seats and the BJP, six. One seat had gone to a BSP candidate. Leaders from both parties agreed that winning these 20 seats would not be a cakewalk. "We can't ignore the Aam Aadmi Party. Political equations have changed due to the entry of the AAP. We also believe that he (Arvind Kejriwal) will get some share of votes in certain seats. But it will affect the prospects of the BJP more," a Congress legislator said.

While Congress leaders are saying the party will emerge victorious on the basis of development work in the last 15 years, the main issues for the Assembly election are inflation, rise in power tariff, irregular water supply and corruption. A BJP leader said the general issues prevailing across the country, like inflation and corruption, would play a crucial role. "I think that it is not local issues but general issues, like corruption and price rise, that will affect the Congress' vote share," said the leader.

This Delhi Assembly election is the beginning of AAP leader Kejriwal's political journey. He is aware that it will be embarrassing if his party does not get its share of votes. To get public attention, and the votes that have so far been shared between the Congress and BJP, he has adopted different strategies. He is known for his crusade against corruption and in this election his main message to the people is a corruption-free government.

The AAP is focusing on unauthorised colonies, resettlement colonies and jhuggi areas where the people really appear to support him and his party. The residents of these areas face basic problems, like inadequate supply of water, lack of sewerage, price rise, lack of hospitals and basic education, and Kejriwal and his team will try to draw the maximum political advantage from these issues.Star power to help involve youngsters

Don't be surprised if you see Katrina Kaif or Kareena Kapoor urging you to cast your precious votes in Delhi this Assembly elections. The Delhi Election Commission is banking on celebrity power to attract youngsters to the election booths.

Officials said Katrina and Kareena are the top choices for the advertising campaign for this Assembly elections. "There are many actresses, and media agencies are working on the project. Very soon, we will finalise one celebrity. Some actress from TV serials could also be roped in. The main purpose is to attract young voters. The youth identify themselves easily with celebrities," a senior Delhi EC official said.

The share of youth has seen a substantial rise in the revised electoral roll this year. Earlier, there were a total of 98,000 youngsters on the voters' list and now after a revision exercise by the election commission, the number has crossed three lakh.

"We have already added the youth population, particularly the college-going students, to the list. Now, we want them to come out and vote and it will certainly make some difference this year," the official added. The Delhi Election Commission office has also decided to rope in major Ramlila associations in the city to encourage people to vote.

- Kumar Vikram/ New Delhi

BJP still racking its brains over who will take on Sheila

If naming a chief ministerial candidate is a telling urgency for the Delhi BJP, finding a candidate to fight against Sheila Dikshit in her bastion - New Delhi Assembly constituency - is even a bigger poll problem for the saffron party.

Knowing well what happened to senior BJP leader Vijay Jolly, who had lost the election against Dikshit in 2008, not many party leaders have evinced interest in taking on the chief minister. Even Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel, former mayor Arti Mehra and Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, V.K. Malhotra, have not hinted of any such bravado. Since the 2008 loss, Jolly has been trying to gain a foothold back in the city politics.

The party circle is abuzz, though, with some names. "Actress Kirron Kher's name comes at the top on this list. She even has the endorsement of Goel, who had invited her for the recent bijli (power) rally at Ramila Maidan and she obliged... Kher can also rally support of the celebrities for the party's election campaign," a BJP leader told Mail Today.

Kher is not new to the BJP and politics. Earlier, she shouldered responsibility of the party's women affairs and during Nitin Gadkari's tenure as party president, she was co-convener of its human rights cell. "She is active and a known public face who can match the Dikshit power," said another party leader.

Another name doing the rounds for BJP's candidate against Dikshit is that of Kiran Chopra, a social activist, who is a hit among the Capital's senior citizens as she runs a NGO for them. She is close to senior BJP leaders at the national level.

There may be a surprise face to woo the young voters in Vani Tripathi, a name not many endorse in party circles. "But she has been discussed definitely and one is not sure if she would contest," a leader said. It is also learnt that Shahnawaz Hussain is promoting political activist Rajiv Rana, who is also the president of New Delhi District.